World Cup 2014: Tension, anger as Asian giants grab World Cup spots

Australia striker Joshua Kennedy, top, scores the winning goal against Iraq in the second half of their FIFA World Cup Asian qualifier at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday.

Photo: EPA

Asian giants Iran, South Korea and Australia scrambled into next year’s FIFA World Cup finals on Tuesday after scenes of crowd anger and high tension on the final night of group qualifying.

Irate South Korean fans hurled water bottles and other debris after Iran booked their ticket with a 1-0 smash-and-grab win in Ulsan, South Korea, following a tetchy buildup between the two teams.

South Korea also accused Iran coach Carlos Queiroz of making an obscene hand gesture at his rival Choi Kang-hee and said they expected a FIFA investigation. No comment was immediately available from Queiroz.

A South Korean newspaper condemned Iran’s players and officials, but made little mention of their own fans’ poor behavior.

“When their victory was confirmed, all the Iranian players ran toward the South Korean bench, pumping their fists and making insulting gestures,” the Sport Chosun daily wrote in an editorial. “There was no respect for the opposing team. They were not merely celebrating their victory. They stuck their tongues out at the crowd and jeered at them. They insulted and mocked South Korean soccer. The spirit of fair play and sportsmanship were completely forgotten. Those who are only good at playing games, but have no respect for sportsmanship, do not deserve to go to the World Cup.”

However, some South Korean fans took to microblogging site Twitter with a different view of events.

“The water bottles thrown out to Iranian players showed to the whole world how ugly we are as a nation,” a fan tweeted.

Another said: “I felt awful when seeing the Iranian players running around the stadium with their flag, but it felt even more awful seeing South Koreans throwing bottles toward them.”

It emerged after that South Korea had also qualified as Uzbekistan, despite beating Qatar 5-1, just missed out on goal-difference.